A number of cable and chain devices currently exist that allow for manipulation of drain position in a bathtub, a washbasin, a hot tub, a baptismal, a Jacuzzi-type product, and other similar devices (hereinafter “tubs”). Drain manipulation and control devices that employ chains and cables suffer from problems posed by corrosion, chain tangling, and rigidity issues. These drawbacks of current devices are further compounded by the fact that they are generally inaccessible for repair. As these devices are typically located within the tub or surrounding structure, maintenance or repair thereof is complicated and costly. Typically, unless the original installer provided an access panel, costly removal, replacement, and repair of the stone, tile, or other material surrounding the drain is necessary.
More specifically, attention is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,738 to Gebert (“Gebert”) and U.S. Pat. No. 2,059,120 to Kreuzer (“Kreuzer”) that disclose devices that employ a cable to selectively open and close the stopper associated with a drain assembly of a bathtub. More specifically, Kreuzer discloses a handle that is rotatably interconnected by a crank arm to a cable that is positioned within an overflow drain pipe. The overflow drainpipe is also associated with a primary drain system of a bathtub. The cable is also connected to a stud that is associated with a lever that actuates the closure mechanism of the drain. Upon rotation of the handle, the crank arm repositions one end of the cable, thereby rotating the lever to move the stopper out of a strainer body associated with a drain to allow fluid to flow into the primary drain pipe. One drawback of Kreuzer is that the cable is located on the inside of the drain pipe. The problem with this configuration is that the cable cannot be easily adjusted to accommodate overflow assemblies of various lengths. More specifically, manufacturers provide bathtubs of various dimensions. Providing a fixed length of cable as taught by Kreuzer does not allow length adjustment and, thus, may require modification by the installer. The adjustment generally required is in the range of about 6-8 inches but can be much greater. Yet another problem with Kreuzer is that turning of the handle is not efficiently transferred into movement that is needed to turn the lever. This deficiency is related to the fact that nothing is constraining or guiding the movement of the cable. Embodiments of the present invention, which will be described below, include a cable with a constrained cable that is positioned between an overflow elbow and a drain elbow, which eliminates “slop” and provides sufficient force to open the drain stopper.
Similarly, Gebert discloses a system that includes a rotatable linkage associated with the overflow components of a bathtub that is also associated with a bower cable situated on the outside of the overflow drain pipe. Rotation of the linkage moves the cable within its sheath to selectively move closure components associated with the drain portion that move the stopper into and out of the strainer body of the bathtub. One drawback of Gebert is that it includes a bellows portion that does not meet building code requirements. Gebert also mentions that cable twisting caused by a lever associated with the drain is an issue of the prior art.
These examples of the prior art illustrate some of the deficiencies thereof. Namely, the drawbacks of the prior art include the need for complicated drain actuating mechanisms and they suffer from the inability to access all of the internal components of the drain opening system. More specifically, building codes often dictate that such cables and associated components must be accessible by plumbers after the bathtub is installed in order for the plumbers to affect needed repairs. In order to meet this standard, plumbers often must install panels to provide the needed access to the drain portion and the overflow portion of the drain. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the fabrication of these access panels is costly and complicated and may be unsightly.
Thus, it is a long felt need in the art to provide a system that allows for selectively opening and closing a drain stopper of a bathtub without requiring access panels. The following specification describes a system and method that provides a drain actuation mechanism that does not require a person to open and close the drain by pulling on a portion of the drain mechanism that is associated with the bottom surface of the bathtub or basin and that allows enhanced access to all of the components of the drain mechanism from inside the bathtub to facilitate repair without requiring the need of an access panel.